Comparative Effectiveness of Ivermectin and Permethrin in the Treatment of Scabies Diagnosed in the Emergency Department

Objective: We aimed to compare the effectiveness of systemic oral ivermectin and topical permethrin in the treatment of scabies in emergency departments (ED). Materials and Methods: In this prospective, observational, cross-sectional single-center study, patients who presented to the ED with prurit...

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Main Authors: Tuba Betül Ümit, Hüseyin Ergenç, Halil Altınmaden
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Türkiye Acil Tıp Vakfı 2025-04-01
Series:Global Emergency and Critical Care
Subjects:
Online Access:https://globemcc.com/articles/comparative-effectiveness-of-ivermectin-and-permethrin-in-the-treatment-of-scabies-diagnosed-in-the-emergency-department/doi/globecc.galenos.2024.99609
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author Tuba Betül Ümit
Hüseyin Ergenç
Halil Altınmaden
author_facet Tuba Betül Ümit
Hüseyin Ergenç
Halil Altınmaden
author_sort Tuba Betül Ümit
collection DOAJ
description Objective: We aimed to compare the effectiveness of systemic oral ivermectin and topical permethrin in the treatment of scabies in emergency departments (ED). Materials and Methods: In this prospective, observational, cross-sectional single-center study, patients who presented to the ED with pruritus and were diagnosed with scabies received either topical permethrin or oral ivermectin, based on the clinician’s preference. After treatment, the patients were scheduled for follow-up examinations one and two weeks later to assess the treatment effectiveness. Results: A total of 177 patients were included in this study, comprising 106 (59.9%) men and 71 (40.1%) women. No statistically significant difference was found in terms of treatment effectiveness between patients using topical permethrin and those using oral ivermectin at the 7- and 14-day follow-ups (p=0.656 and p=0.604, respectively). After two courses of treatment, 42 (23.7%) patients were considered to have an ineffective response and received alternative treatment. Conclusion: Scabies are managed and treated by dermatologists and emergency medicine physicians in Türkiye. The effectiveness of topical permethrin and oral ivermectin, which are commonly used as first-line treatments for scabies, appears to be similar. The treatment efficacies of both drugs were lower than expected. Improvements in patient adherence and medication access, family member contributions to treatment, and patient education regarding home hygiene can improve treatment outcomes.
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language English
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publisher Türkiye Acil Tıp Vakfı
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series Global Emergency and Critical Care
spelling doaj-art-dfd03a87a69d407a8e327336741b84402025-08-20T03:52:11ZengTürkiye Acil Tıp VakfıGlobal Emergency and Critical Care2822-40782025-04-0141353810.4274/globecc.galenos.2024.99609Comparative Effectiveness of Ivermectin and Permethrin in the Treatment of Scabies Diagnosed in the Emergency DepartmentTuba Betül Ümit0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9852-3034Hüseyin Ergenç1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1325-3360Halil Altınmaden2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9928-1388University of Health Sciences Türkiye Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Emergency Medicine, İstanbul, TürkiyeUniversity of Health Sciences Türkiye Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Emergency Medicine, İstanbul, TürkiyeUniversity of Health Sciences Türkiye Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Emergency Medicine, İstanbul, TürkiyeObjective: We aimed to compare the effectiveness of systemic oral ivermectin and topical permethrin in the treatment of scabies in emergency departments (ED). Materials and Methods: In this prospective, observational, cross-sectional single-center study, patients who presented to the ED with pruritus and were diagnosed with scabies received either topical permethrin or oral ivermectin, based on the clinician’s preference. After treatment, the patients were scheduled for follow-up examinations one and two weeks later to assess the treatment effectiveness. Results: A total of 177 patients were included in this study, comprising 106 (59.9%) men and 71 (40.1%) women. No statistically significant difference was found in terms of treatment effectiveness between patients using topical permethrin and those using oral ivermectin at the 7- and 14-day follow-ups (p=0.656 and p=0.604, respectively). After two courses of treatment, 42 (23.7%) patients were considered to have an ineffective response and received alternative treatment. Conclusion: Scabies are managed and treated by dermatologists and emergency medicine physicians in Türkiye. The effectiveness of topical permethrin and oral ivermectin, which are commonly used as first-line treatments for scabies, appears to be similar. The treatment efficacies of both drugs were lower than expected. Improvements in patient adherence and medication access, family member contributions to treatment, and patient education regarding home hygiene can improve treatment outcomes.https://globemcc.com/articles/comparative-effectiveness-of-ivermectin-and-permethrin-in-the-treatment-of-scabies-diagnosed-in-the-emergency-department/doi/globecc.galenos.2024.99609scabiesitchingsarcoptes scabieipruritus
spellingShingle Tuba Betül Ümit
Hüseyin Ergenç
Halil Altınmaden
Comparative Effectiveness of Ivermectin and Permethrin in the Treatment of Scabies Diagnosed in the Emergency Department
Global Emergency and Critical Care
scabies
itching
sarcoptes scabiei
pruritus
title Comparative Effectiveness of Ivermectin and Permethrin in the Treatment of Scabies Diagnosed in the Emergency Department
title_full Comparative Effectiveness of Ivermectin and Permethrin in the Treatment of Scabies Diagnosed in the Emergency Department
title_fullStr Comparative Effectiveness of Ivermectin and Permethrin in the Treatment of Scabies Diagnosed in the Emergency Department
title_full_unstemmed Comparative Effectiveness of Ivermectin and Permethrin in the Treatment of Scabies Diagnosed in the Emergency Department
title_short Comparative Effectiveness of Ivermectin and Permethrin in the Treatment of Scabies Diagnosed in the Emergency Department
title_sort comparative effectiveness of ivermectin and permethrin in the treatment of scabies diagnosed in the emergency department
topic scabies
itching
sarcoptes scabiei
pruritus
url https://globemcc.com/articles/comparative-effectiveness-of-ivermectin-and-permethrin-in-the-treatment-of-scabies-diagnosed-in-the-emergency-department/doi/globecc.galenos.2024.99609
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AT huseyinergenc comparativeeffectivenessofivermectinandpermethrininthetreatmentofscabiesdiagnosedintheemergencydepartment
AT halilaltınmaden comparativeeffectivenessofivermectinandpermethrininthetreatmentofscabiesdiagnosedintheemergencydepartment